Lagerstroemia plant named ‘Lava Java’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct crape myrtle plant named  Lagerstroemia  ‘Lava Java’ has a dense, broadly-spreading, mounded habit, is ground hardy to at least USDA zone 6, has glossy, dark-green foliage with faint marginal wine blush that emerge deep mahogany-colored. The flowers cover the shrub with magenta-rose from shiny reddish buds. The new plant resists leaf spot and powdery mildew and is useful in the landscape as a specimen, en masse, or as a container plant.

Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia (L.) hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Lava Java’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)

The first public disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of aphotograph and brief description on a website operated by WaltersGardens, Inc. was on Feb. 1, 2018. After that, on Mar. 12, 2018 theclaimed plant was sold by Walters Gardens, Inc., who obtained the plantand all information relating thereto, from the inventor. No plants ofLagerstroemia ‘Lava Java’ have been sold in this country or anywhere inthe world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made, more thanone year prior to the filing date of this application, and such sale ordisclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectlyfrom the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLagerstroemia plant, commonly known as Crape Myrtle, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Lava Java’ or the “new plant.” ‘LavaJava’ is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use and for useas a potted plant, and is the result of an ongoing breeding program toproduce new and improved garden worthy plants for the ornamental market.The new plant was the result of open-pollinated seed collected by theinventor in fall of 2010 in a cultivated landscape in Raleigh, N.C., USAusing ‘Whit III’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,319 (sold under the trademarkPINK VELOUR®) as the seed or female parent. The male or pollen parent isunknown, but may have been any one of a number of hybrids or cultivarsin the breeding area. The new plant was given the breeder codeH10-01-20.

Lagerstroemia ‘Lava Java’ was initially asexually propagated by stemcuttings at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA in2012. The resultant plants from successive generations have demonstratedthat the new plant has remained stable and true to type in multiple andsuccessive generations of asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Lava Java’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withchanges in light, temperature, soil and available moisture and fertilitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘Lava Java’. Among the characteristics incombination which distinguish ‘Lava Java’ as a new and distinctcultivar, unique from all other cultivars known to the inventor are:

-   -   1. Dense, broadly-spread mounded growth habit;    -   2. Glossy foliage emerges deep mahogany and matures to        dark-green with faint marginal wine blush;    -   3. Heavily-branched, striated, reddish-brown colored stems;    -   4. Magenta-rose flowers in dense panicles open on new growth to        cover the shrub;    -   5. Resistance to Cercospora leaf spot and Erisphe powdery        mildew;    -   6. Ground hardy to at least USDA hardiness zone 6.

The most similar cultivars known to the inventor include: ‘Spiced Plum’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,478, ‘Cool Beans’ U.S. Plant Pat. 29,940, ‘SweetMacchiato’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,759, and the three copending cultivars‘Brew Ha Ha’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,206, ‘Dark Roast’ U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 16/350,861 and ‘Chai Berry’ U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 16/350,860. ‘Spiced Plum’ is slightly shorter andnarrower in habit and blooms with flowers that are moreraspberry-purple. ‘Cool Beans’ has a flower color that is a differentpink hue. ‘Sweet Macchiato’ has a flower color that is more lavenderpink coloration. ‘Brew Ha Ha’ is slightly shorter in habit and theflower color is a different hue of bubblegum pink. ‘Dark Roast’ isshorter in habit, the leaves are deeper reddish purple and the flowersare a different hue of bright fuchsia pink. ‘Chai Berry’ is slightlytaller in habit and the flowers are a different hue of rose-pink. Thefemale parent ‘Whit III’ is much taller, the flowers are a pinkcoloration. Comparison with the male parent is not possible since themale parent is unknown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliagecharacteristics and the overall appearance of a seven-year-old plant of‘Lava Java’, growing in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich.,showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain incolor reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription which accurately describe the colors of the newLagerstroemia.

FIG. 1 shows a plant in a full-sun trial garden in late summer peakflowering.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up for the flowers and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following color references are based on the 2015 edition of TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionaryterms are used. The following observations and size descriptions are ofapproximately seven-year-old plants grown in a loamy-sand, full-sun,open trial bed in Zeeland, Mich., USA with supplemental water andfertilizer as needed. The phenotype may vary slightly with differentenvironmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility,moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype.

-   Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia (L.) hybrid; Parentage:    female, or seed parent ‘Whit III’; the male, or pollen parent is    unknown;-   Propagation: Terminal softwood stem cuttings;-   Time to initiate roots: About three weeks;-   Growth rate: Moderate; finishing from a 65 mm liner in a 3.7 liter    container in about 10 to 14 weeks in the summer season;-   Plant description: Deciduous, woody, narrow, compact flowering    shrub; about six mainly upright to outward primary stems; freely    branched;-   Root description: Fine, numerous, fibrous, well-branched;-   Plant habit: Broadly-spreading compact mound; about 115.0 cm high    from the soil level to the top of the inflorescences; about 102.0 cm    wide with no pinching, pruning or plant growth regulators;-   Stems: About sixteen; to about 80.0 cm long and about 20.0 mm    diameter at base; young stems cylindrical with four longitudinal    carinae, along line on either side of petioles; basal stems    cylindrical with slightly exfoliating bark; highly branched with    about 18 to 23 alternate branches held at about 30 to 45 degree    angle above horizontal; branches to about 35.0 cm long and 5.0 mm    diameter at base;-   Stem color: Woody basal portion variable with over wintered stems    between RHS 177B and RHS 200A, basal new season stems striated with    nearest RHS 176A and RHS 164D; young developing stems striated with    nearest RHS 181C and nearest RHS 185A;-   Node: About 35 to 45 per main stem; internode length average about    1.5 cm in main stems;-   Node color: Same as surrounding stem;-   Foliage description: Sub-opposite to alternate; simple; ovate;    margin ciliolate; slightly coarsely sinuate; acute apex;    aequilateral, rounded to attenuate base; adaxial and abaxial    glabrous and lustrous; to about 7.6 cm long and 3.4 cm wide, average    about 5.5 cm long and 3.4 cm wide;-   Abaxial leaf color: Young emerging adaxial nearest RHS 187A with    slight marginal blush of nearest RHS 187B, abaxial nearest RHS 146D;    mature adaxial nearest RHS 139A, abaxial between RHS 137B and RHS    146B;-   Veins: Pinnate, micro-puberulent adaxial and abaxial;-   Vein color: Young emerging adaxial nearest RHS N186C, abaxial    between RHS 183C and RHS 187C; mature adaxial nearest RHS 183C with    midrib nearest RHS NN137C in distal portion, abaxial basal midrib    with distal midrib portion and secondary veins nearest RHS 160B with    blush of nearest RHS 184A;-   Petiole: Short, typically 2.0 mm long and 2.0 mm wide; color adaxial    center nearest RHS 146A and margins nearest RHS N187A abaxial    nearest RHS N187A;-   Inflorescence: Panicle; terminal branched panicles up to about 400    flowers; average about 275 flowers; up to about 35.0 cm long and    about 25.0 cm across; beginning late-summer and continuing for up to    nine weeks;-   Buds: Globose; slightly carinate; with rounded to slightly apiculate    apex and rounded base; lustrous; glabrous; about 7.5 mm long and    about 8.0 mm diameter one day prior to opening; longitudinal suture    lines of medium prominence;-   Bud color: Exposed petals nearest RHS 64A; calyx nearest RHS 183C    with carinae nearest RHS 187A;-   Flowers: Perfect; regular; actinomorphic; in terminal panicle;    individually about 2.8 cm across and about 20.0 mm long to tip of    exserted stigma, corolla to about 18.0 mm long; lasting about is two    days;-   Flower fragrance: Faintly sweet;-   Peduncle: Cylindrical with four longitudinal carinae in proximal    portion and cylindrical in distal portion; about 5.0 mm diameter at    base below lowest flowering branch, to about 35.0 cm long and 18.0    cm across;-   Peduncle color: Variable with position; proximal between RHS 177B    and RHS 200A, and distal portion striated with nearest RHS 181C and    nearest RHS 185A;-   Pedicel: Cylindrical; glabrous; lustrous; about 9.0 mm long and 1.0    mm diameter;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 187A;-   Calyx: Fused to form hypanthium; 9.0 mm long and 7.0 mm across;-   Sepals: Fused in about the basal 3.0 mm; acute apex, entire margin;    glabrous and lustrous both adaxial and abaxial; about 7.0 mm long    and individually and about 3.0 mm wide at fusion point;-   Sepal color: Adaxial basal portion nearest RHS 196D, middle portion    nearest RHS 187C, distal portion nearest RHS N148D; abaxial basal    nearest RHS 183C;-   Petals: Six; stalked; glabrous; blade ruffled or crisped; margin    crisped; blade with rounded apex and auriculate base, to about 10.0    mm across and 10.0 mm long; claw base or stalk adnate to calyx, to    about 8.0 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter; overall about 18.0 mm long;-   Petal color: Blade adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 60A; claw nearest    RHS 53B;-   Androecium:    -   -   Stamens.—Typically about 42; six longer and about 36            shorter.        -   Filaments.—Cylindrical; shorter stamens to about 10.0 mm            long and about 0.2 mm diameter, curved to twisted; longer            filaments about 18.0 mm long and about 0.3 mm diameter;            color of shorter filaments nearest RHS 179C; color longer            filaments nearest RHS 60B.        -   Anthers—Dorsifixed; flattened ellipsoid; more developed on            longer stamens to about 1.5 mm long and 1.2 mm across, on            shorter stamens about 1.0 mm long and about 0.7 mm across;            color nearest RHS 13A.        -   Pollen.—Abundant on longer stamens; color nearest RHS 14A.-   Gynoecium: One; about 20.0 mm long;    -   -   Style.—Cylindrical; glabrous; about 18.0 mm long and 1.0 mm            diameter; color nearest RHS 53B.        -   Stigma.—Globose; about 0.7 mm diameter; color nearest RHS            59A.        -   Ovary.—Superior; globose; lustrous; about 2.0 mm tall and            2.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 150D.-   Fruit: Globose; dehiscent, loculicidal, penta-valved capsule; about    9.0 mm across and 9.0 mm tall; immature color nearest RHS 145C,    mature color nearest RES 202B with midribs nearest RHS 165A;-   Seed: Typically 15 to 30 seeds per fruit; winged; to about 7.0 mm    long and 15 mm across and 1.0 mm thick at embryo; color variable,    nearest RHS 199B at embryo and RHS 161C in wing;-   Disease resistance: Lagerstroemia ‘Lava Java’ has shown resistance    to powdery mildew and black leaf spot, Erisphe and Cercospora fungi,    respectively. Other resistance beyond that typical for crape myrtle    has not been observed. The new plant's root system is capable of    withstanding cold temperatures typical of those found in USDA zone    6.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of crape myrtle plantnamed Lagerstroemia ‘Lava Java’ essentially as herein illustrated anddescribed.